Temporary Insanity

A national bestseller when initially published in July 1985, Jay Johnstone - with author Rick Talley - pens a hilarious autobiography on his career in baseball and as one of the game's all-time most creative pranksters. With chapter titles like, "Jay Johnstone's All-Crazy Team And List Of Bests," "Hey, Some Of My Best Friends Are Crazy" and "Managers I Have Terrorized," Johnstone touches all the bases in his pro career known oftetimes more for his practical jokes than his clutch hits; he was one of the best pinch-hitters ever and shined in tight spots during the championship seasons of the 1978 New York Yankees and 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers. But the book soars when Johnstone is in his most wackiness. He has taken to the field wearing monster masks, oversized sunglasses and a Star Patrol helmet, exchanged uniforms with a groundskeeper and swept infields during games, was a singer for the Big Blue Wrecking Crew and placed brownies in Steve Garvey's glove. There are also sections on the high-jinks of other players, including star relief pitcher Moe Drabowsky using the bullpen telephone for more than trying to contact the manager in the dugout. That story alone is worth buying the book. But through it all, Johnstone loved to play the game, while having a little fun (which is seemingly a missing ingredient in today's MLB): "How will I be remembered? Maybe someday a rookie will hear my name mentioned and say: 'Jay Johnstone? He was so crazy that when he came into the hotel room, his pillow jumped out the window.' And that kid might have a chance in this game."

This piece of work along with the follow-up "Over the Edge" is a must read for any baseball afficianato, especially in need of a few genuine good laughs. The way Jay tells a story really puts the reader in the moment and captures the unique humor of the game that seems to have graced years gone by. There are very few characters of the game left in what has become more of a business, but if you ever read "Snake", or Joe Namath's book, you'll love this one.